An implantable medical device (IMD) may deliver electrical stimulation using a transmission of a pulsed electrical signal to a desired biological target, such as a cardiac or neurological target. The extent and effectiveness of stimulation depends upon various properties of the pulsed electrical signal, such as pulse amplitude, frequency, pulse width, duty cycle, and the like. The IMD is programmed with a number of stimulation parameters corresponding to the properties of the pulsed electrical signal. The stimulation parameters are programmed into the IMD by a user, such as a physician, patient, patient assistant, robot or a medical professional, using an external programming device. The biological environment of the IMD, leads and electrodes may affect the ability of the IMD to provide the programmed therapy. For example, system output may not match expected output for certain combinations of stimulation parameter values (such as amplitude) and the electrical load experienced in the biological environment.
Generally, limitations of an IMD system and related information are mentioned in a manual accompanying the IMD. However, the user does not have access to or time to check the manual for the unique limitations of a particular biological environment, thereby delaying or preventing appropriate selection of parameters for implanted therapy. Therefore, there is a need for implanted therapy systems that can communicate the biological environment limitations of parameter selection to the user, when the user is programming the system.